by-the-numbers Armageddon

Rating: 4/10 (19 May 2004)

Take Day of the Triffids, Omega Man and bits and pieces of other horror flicks, stir them all together and you've got 28 Days Later, a painfully predictable and only occasionally exciting movie. I wouldn't object to the fact that the movie doesn't have a thought in its head if it was scarier, and I would mind the rather mild thrills if the movie were original and clever, but this movie is so utterly insubstantial in all ways (except for the rather stylish look) that it felt like a complete waste of my time. I thought the cast was good and some of the early scenes were actually quite effective, but by the half way point the movie had completely wore out its welcome as it became increasingly unlikely and unpleasant. The whole thing was just plain dumb.